Homefront and Prototype on Intel GMA 4500

by thund3rw0lf

GMA4500MHDhomefrontprototype
It is Christmas so I tested extra games just for you, Merry Christmas to all of you.

Two big games, both have issues with engine because both are bad console ports to PC. Homefront can be
tweaked but prototype only in certain options.
Both run, Homefront better than Prototype.

Homefront


Game runs great with config file edit. It should run great without big changes but developers
fucked up game engine. So it needs serious downgrade in quality. It looks bad but it plays good.

With only changing in game options to lowest it runs in 4-8 FPS,lags.
Editing config file gives 10-20 FPS and nice fluid gameplay so it plays great, it can get better in
FPS terms 18-30 with 320x240 resolution but then it looks like Doom 1&2 (nostalgia people only).

If the game won't start, showing black square and/or crashes then do next:

Right-click game icon/shortcut and select Properties
Under Shortcut tab in Target add -d3d9 on the end
It should look something like this:
D:\Programs\Homefront\Binaries\HOMEFRONT.exe -d3d9

Now configuration edit:

Start game and goto OPTIONS > SYSTEM
Set everything to Very Low, Off and disable (untick)
Aspect Ratio 4:3
Resolution 800x600

Save and exit game

Now you can edit configuration file

Goto
Documents\My Games\HOMEFRONT\GCGame\Config

Open with Notepad
GCEngine.ini

Under
[SystemSettings]

paste next text instead of existing (overwrite)

[SystemSettings]
MeshLODDistanceScale_LOW=0.1
MeshLODDistanceScale_MED=0.5
MeshLODDistanceScale_HIGH=1.0
MaxPreRenderedFramesDX9=0
MaxPreRenderedFramesDX11=-1
AFROcclusionQueryBuffering=False
AFRForceOcclusionQueries=False
StaticDecals=False
DynamicDecals=False
UnbatchedDecals=False
DynamicLights=False
DynamicShadows=False
LightEnvironmentShadows=False
CompositeDynamicLights=False
DirectionalLightmaps=False
MotionBlur=False
DepthOfField=False
AmbientOcclusion=False
Bloom=False
UseHighQualityBloom=False
Distortion=False
DropParticleDistortion=False
OnlyStreamInTextures=False
LensFlares=False
FogVolumes=False
FloatingPointRenderTargets=False
OneFrameThreadLag=True
UseVsync=False
UseFPSSmoothing=True
UpscaleScreenPercentage=True
Fullscreen=True
AllowD3D10=False
CompatLevelGPU=1
HighQualityGamma=False
PostProcessing=False
AllowRadialBlur=False
AlwaysRenderBeforeModShadows=False
bEnableBranchingPCFShadows=False
bAllowBetterModulatedShadows=False
bEnableForegroundShadowsOnWorld=False
bEnableForegroundSelfShadowing=False
SkeletalMeshLODBias=0
ParticleLODBias=2147483647
DetailMode=0
DrawDistance=0
ShadowFilterQualityBias=-1
MaxAnisotropy=0
MaxMultisamples=0
MinShadowResolution=8
MaxShadowResolution=16
ResX=640
ResY=480
ShadowFadeResolution=8
ShadowFadeExponent=2.200000
ScreenPercentage=100.000000
SceneCaptureStreamingMultiplier=1.000000
FoliageDrawRadiusMultiplier=0.100000
ShadowTexelsPerPixel=2.000000
ShadowFilterRadius=2.000000
ShadowDepthBias=0.012000
ShadowVolumeLightRadiusThreshold=1000.000000
ShadowVolumePrimitiveScreenSpacePercentageThreshold=0.250000
PerDistanceShadowBias=0.000100
PerDistanceShadowBiasStart=0.000000
PerDistanceShadowBiasMax=0.001000
NumFracturedPartsScale=1.000000
FractureDirectSpawnChanceScale=1.000000
FractureRadialSpawnChanceScale=1.000000
FractureCullDistanceScale=1.000000
DecalCullDistanceScale=1.000000
StippleDuration=0.500000
LightVolumeTransitionTime=2.000000
ScreenAspectRatio=1.333333
TEXTUREGROUP_Character=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterNormalMap=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterSpecular=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Cinematic=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Effects=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_LightAndShadowMap=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Skybox=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_UI=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Vehicle=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleNormalMap=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleSpecular=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponNormalMap=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponSpecular=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_World=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_WorldNormalMap=(MinLODSize=16,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_WorldSpecular=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point)
TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon_Min256=(MinLODSize=256,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point)
TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon_Min512=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point)
TEXTUREGROUP_Default_Min128=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Default_Min256=(MinLODSize=256,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Default_Min512=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_EffectsNotFiltered=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)

Save and exit

Enjoy game

Prototype


Prototype runs very slow because it is console port and engine is not optimized. On top of that
engine also doesn't offer any advanced optimization (ingame option or configuration files).
Game can be played but it need old trick of looking into ground, just don't watch straight forward all the way.

With only lowering in-game options it runs in 3-8 FPS, but with 3D Analyze it gets 8-20 FPS.
Even with 8-20 FPS it needs partial pointing camera into ground most of the time.
I'd say it is playable but for those who really want to play it.

Ok onto the configuration

First start game and goto OPTIONS > VIDEO
Now change:
Resolution 640x480
Anti-Alias Level Off
Vsync Off
Shadow Detail Low
Graphic Quality Low

Save and exit game

3D Analyze setup

First download 3D Analyze (http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/tools/3d_analyze/download/)
and extract it

Now start 3D Analyze and big SELECT button, select prototypef.exe in main game folder

Select other options:

Enable under Performance
force SW TnL
performance logging
disable lighting
disable two sided stencil

Enable under Pixel and Vertex Shader
skip pixel shader version 1.1
skip pixel shader version 1.4
skip pixel shader version 2.0
save shaders to file (shaders.out)

Enable under Hardware Limits (cap bits)
emulate HW TnL caps
emulate other DX8.1 caps
emulate pixel shader caps
emulate bump map caps
emulate max. sim. textures

Enable under Hardware Limits (features)
emulate cube maps
VOODOO flicker fix

Enable under Remove Stuttering
performance mode

Now you can play your game, when you exit 3D Analyze setting will be saved.

Try to enjoy!